Deepavali, Diwali and the need to preserve our rich culture
Despite being settled overseas, the Tamil diaspora loves to recreate the life they left behind in India. Here’s a glimpse of their lives, celebrations and struggles on foreign shores
Despite crossing the oceans leaving behind the homeland, the cherished memories from childhood, of sweets, crackers, new clothes, family, friends and fun are special, particularly for immigrants. I still remember my grandma’s drills, waking me up early on the big day for Gangasnan when the small pots of water from the mighty Ganges are poured into a big drum for the whole family for that grand oil bath. This is followed by sweets and crackers, besides visiting dear and near.
While recollecting and reminiscing those long lost days with a sense of emotional attachment, it is tricky when it comes to explaining the mythology behind the festival of lights to a foreigner. When a Westerner wants to learn more about Deepavali, I, a south Indian, launch into a storytelling session about how Lord Krishna killed Narakasura and freed the common folk from the misery the dark lord from hell inflicted upon them. The day, thus, is celebrated to remind all about the certainty that good will always emerge victorious.
Now, this is where the situation gets complicated. Even as the Westerner is enamoured by the story comes along a friend from north India, who says Deepavali (Diwali for him) is celebrated to mark the return of Lord Ram after 14 years of exile in the forest. He then goes on to explain, briefly, the story of the epic, Ramayana, which has the Westerner immersed and absorbed in the narrative. But then troops in the Marathi friend, proclaiming that it was Dhanteras when the homes are lit up with lamps to get ready for Lakshmi Pooja.
(The already befuddled Westerner is thankfully spared of yet another version, Naraka Chaturdashi, in which it is Goddess Kali who killed the demon!)
The friend is understandably marvelled by the many explanations for the same festival, just like I was when I first came across the diverse narratives around Deepavali that are built around the cultural practices of different communities within India. But my ignorance about these stories about the great Indian festival was embarrassing – a feeling that was shared by my friends from other parts of India when they learnt the story about Lord Krishna slaying Narakasura.
What none of us could answer convincingly was a rather simple, logical question from the Westerner: “Aren’t you all from the same country? Why would you not know the culture of other parts of India? Would that not be taught in schools?” Well, it might have been easy to dodge these questions by offering him the homemade Indian delicacies. Some immigrants fall back on fancy statements like “the beauty of India is its diversity” to wriggle out of such tight corners.
But the truth remains that I did not know the fine culture of my fellow Indians living far away but well within my country. There is so much cocooning that happens when we grow up back in the country, which we break while living abroad. The mutual dependence and inter-cultural bonding come to the fore when Indians gather at a foreign land. The State boundaries that are so rigid back in India get dissolved in these shores. Quite encouraging indeed.
It is a hard pointer that the focus back in India should be to shed light on the lives, customs and traditions of its peoples. Nowhere in the world can we come across such a rich, diverse but yet unified culture and heritage. That is a privilege that needs to be preserved and patronised.
Coming back to celebrating Deepavali in the foreign land, today’s generation is blessed, as it has everything available at the ‘Patels’ and ‘Anandhabhavan’ stores in the US to celebrate the festival. Even crackers, the sale of which used to be restricted in many states, can be bought from local stores as the restriction has been eased of late. Theatres are ready with Deepavali release of their favourite star, for those who would rather stay at home, there is always the satellite connection beaming specials into their family rooms. A thankful addition in the recent years is the tech connectivity that allows most people the bandwidth and luxury of video chats to unite with their family back in India.
Many temples offer special darshan and also organise fire cracker bursting sessions together as a community. Many school districts also offer optional holidays to celebrate the festival. This year’s Deepavali is particularly special as it falls on a Sunday – even those officegoers, who have strict bosses, are spared this time around!
All said and done, man is a social animal. However far he gets from the mother land, the strength of the rich customs and culture, expressed through festivals and celebrations, is always powerful enough to draw one back to one’s roots. It is heartening indeed when a Westerner becomes part of the culture cauldron, joining in the festivities whole-heartedly and even wishing happy Deepavali!
Jai ho Diwali. Happy, Happy Deepavali!
The friend is understandably marvelled by the many explanations for the same festival, just like I was when I first came across the diverse narratives around Deepavali